Innovation for Inclusive Development: A systemic review of national policy on IID
Abstract
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is developing a strategic re-orientation of its science, technology and innovation initiatives that aim to improve the quality of life for all citizens, in response to the 2010 Ministerial Review recommendation on "social innovation".
The adoption of a framework of Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) is proposed, defined as:
"Innovation that reduces poverty and enables all groups of people, especially the
poor and marginalised, to participate in decision-making, create and actualise
opportunities and equitably share in the benefits of development".
For DST to design an implementable IID strategy, it is critical to identify existing and new policies and policy instruments across government, and the institutional arrangements that can facilitate or constrain IID. DST thus proposes to investigate the readiness of the policy environment, in terms of the extent to which it can enable and support IID, in relation to three aspects:
1) Science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, particularly its orientation to the needs of informal sector and those outside formal institutions of the National System of Innovation
2) STI policy instruments
3) STI institutional arrangements
The outcomes of the project overall are:
- A conceptual framework for identifying and analysing the types of policy, policy
instruments and institutional arrangements conducive to IID
- A detailed systemic map identifying existing national policies and policy instruments
conducive to IID, linked to the relevant government departments and agencies
- A systemic map of existing policy and institutional arrangements conducive to IID, at
the provincial and sectoral levels
- An improved understanding of drivers, facilitators and constraints to implementing IID at the "grassroots" level
- A policy dialogue between the innovation policy actors, academics and the public
sector on policy solutions to increase inclusion in innovation processes
The specific objectives of Phase 1 are to:
- Review the literature on STI policy and inclusive development
- Conduct a systematic review of policy and policy instruments on STI and socioeconomic inclusion, particularly in relation to the informal sector and those outside formal institutions of the National System of Innovation
- Develop a map of existing policy and policy instruments conducive to IID
- Contribute to a policy dialogue between key actors in the NSI
- Develop a design for Phase 2 and 3
